Backpacking Class & Trips

I will be offering backpacking classes and overnight experiences at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (SRSP) and other locations in California in the spring and summer of 2019. See “Dates” below for classes and trips for adults and kids. If you are interested in receiving information send me a message using the Contact Form (click “Contact” at the top of this page) and I’ll put you on the mailing list.

UPDATED FOR 2019 (work in progress)!

Classroom Class: A three-hour classroom class at SRSP will be held on March 16, 2019 from10 am-1 pm. We’ll go over introductory information in the first half and look at examples of backpacking gear in the next half. The instructors will bring examples of all the gear needed. No actual hiking is involved in this instructional session

Goal: The goal of the class is to introduce participants to modern backpacking techniques and equipment, which have generally reduced the expected weight that must be carried to enjoy a wilderness experience. If you have never backpacked before or if it has been decades since you backpacked, this class is for you. Tips for all age groups will be provided, from backpacking with children to considerations for seniors.

Registration below, $10 + service fee for 3 hour classroom class

Parking: $8

Overnight guided backpacking experience: Guides with extensive backpacking experience will lead a small group into a backcountry camp [DATE TBD]. This will be a wilderness experience designed to give you an introduction to the equipment and skills you need to to backpack in primitive settings.

You may bring your own backpacking gear or rent from REI in San Francisco or other store (on your own). You may also rent from an online service, such as The CampKit (based in SF) or LowerGear.com (mail order from AZ). I have a limited amount of gear that I can lend upon request. No backpacking experience necessary but participants should be fit enough to hike several miles with a backpack over uneven, hilly terrain.

About gear: If you don’t have backpacking gear, you will need to borrow or rent the Big Four: tent, pack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad. Beyond that, you can pull many other necessary items from gear you have at home or purchase inexpensive items before you commit to the expense of buying high quality gear. For example, you probably have a water bottle or use a sturdy one like a Gatorade bottle. Bring a Tupperware bowl and plastic spoon for meals. A lot of hikers are moving away from heavy hiking boots in favor of trail runners–just make sure your footwear has good tread. You’ll need a trowel but you can get an inexpensive plastic gardening shovel or sturdy tent stake to dig a cat-hole (for human waste).

Important points:

No cotton! Avoid cotton, whether shirt, shorts, pants or socks. Cotton chafes when damp (which can contribute to blisters) and doesn’t dry out quickly. Instead look for synthetic or wool blends that have moisture-wicking properties.

See Backpacking Resources page for links to backpacking checklists. You will receive more information about equipment requirements, food and other topics after you register.

Appropriate hiking footwear is required.

About the instructors and guides:

Inga & Steve at the top of Kearsage Pass (Sierra)

Inga is an outdoor enthusiast and California State Park volunteer who is passionate about exploring backcountry trails safely and encouraging others to push their limits. She’s done the John Muir Trail, High Sierra Trail, Chilkoot Trail (Alaska), many trails in the Tahoe Sierra and has paddled 450 miles of the Yukon River (Canada) in a canoe. She discovered backpacking in middle-age and loves seeing seniors, solo female backpackers and young kids in the backcountry. On the John Muir Trail kids from 2-86 were spotted on the trail.

Steve Mullen, California State Park volunteer, has been backpacking since he was a teenager in upstate New York. He was a lapsed backpacker due to memories of heavy gear, uncomfortable nights and incessant rain, but the new, lightweight gear and the lure of backcountry adventures got him back on the trail. Since he’s married to Inga he’s done all of the above also.

For More Information: Click on Contact at the top of this page to send me a message, ask a question or be added to a mailing list specific to this class.

Below Muir Pass on the John Muir Trail

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity… (John Muir, 1838-1913)